SpringTime Faves

 

What a wonderful Spring week it has been. 

Some sunny, warm days, cool evenings, wind, rain, green grass, tulips opened up and all the house windows open!

Sit with me and pause to give thanks for all the blessings God brings into your life. How about sharing some of them?  Some of us are intentional about looking for blessings in the week, and we link up at Susanne's site.  It is good to thanks to God!

End of the Semester Social Event....my small group I lead
l-r:  Anita, Maggie, Shawna, Mary, me, Lori 

Chicken Pesto pizza

• SMALL GROUP SOCIAL:  There are over 70 small groups and classes to choose from each semester at my church.  I'm one of the small group leaders who choose to hold the group in my home once a week for 8-10 weeks.  This past semester we read and studied the book He Speaks to Me by Priscilla Shirer. Highly recommend!  Our Spiritual Formations Pastor, years ago upon interviewing me for becoming a leader, said it would be good to offer a social event as well as a service project each semester I lead a book study or Bible study.  I've tried to do that (as do other groups). This semester, our service project was done earlier in the month when some of us donated new bathroom and kitchen or bedroom  items for homeless women, aged 60-80, who were moving into their own single bedroom apartments run by a local non-profit called St Paul's Center . And our social was last Friday night at a fave Italian restaurant that hasn't been opened very long in our town. We all ordered the Mini Plates (a 4 slice pizza with salad of our choice).  It was so funny because we all got different pizzas and different salads!  I had the chicken pesto as my oldest daughter had had it before and said it was great, and I had a Caesar Salad.  Everything was delicious and all the ladies really enjoyed themselves.  I'm so thankful I had the chance to lead this study this year. (and I'm thankful to have a break until September!) 

Bradford Pear  tree...pretty but smelly!

Cherry blossoms just opening up

• TREE BLOSSOMS!  This past week our backyard pear tree really bloomed in full. Our youngest daughter gifted it to me for Mother's day in 2013 when she was 14 and it's grown so high in the last 12 years! I don't care for the scent of the blossoms but it sure is pretty.  And our front yard cherry blossom trees are doing pretty well this year too.  The flowers aren't at peak yet but they're beginning to open. I'm thankful for the flowers God created for our enjoyment. 

before new stain 

after

• DECK RE-STAIN:  Monday and Tuesday promised to be perfect Spring days so I started re-staining the deck.  I had picked up 2 gallons of a lighter stain that were on sale last week but we had a rainy Saturday so I had to wait until the deck dried out.  I did most of the steps and bench seats on Monday and finished the job on Tuesday.  Dave even cut a new board to replace a broken one in the seating area.  You can see some brush strokes and it's not a perfect job but it's outdoors so.....we figure it's good enough! I have an outdoor rug that I put in the right corner of the deck (not shown in pic) and am hoping to get that and all the furniture onto the deck later today. I'm so thankful this job is done. It was about 3 years over due! 

• SPONTANEOUS DINNER: Dave came home one evening this past week saying he just wanted some fast food for dinner. I rarely eat fast food unless it was Panera but he convinced me to try the Popeye's Chicken Sandwich.  Apparently this is Louisiana style chicken? It did have a nice coating on it with spices unlike other fast food chicken I've had.  But honestly, I'm just not into fast food.  He was super happy with his meal. I probably won't eat there much although for fast food, it was much better than other places. I'm thankful we could be spontaneous and get something my husband enjoys. 

The Sacandaga River looking east at the dam

• MOUNTAINS DAY!  My childhood friend Cheryl and I planned a day in the mountains for yesterday. It was only 62 up there compared to our 73 here in my town, but the fresh spring mountain air was just what my body and soul needed. She was coming from the central part of NYS and I was coming from the  Capital Region so we decided to meet at 11 AM since it takes us both almost 2 hours to get there.  We went to this campground where Dave and I and our friend Kathy (she was my maid of honor in our wedding) all camped  way back in 1992 before we started having our children. In fact, although I drive past this campground several times in the summer and autumn months, I hadn't been on the grounds since that camping trip over 30 years ago!  It was  wonderful. We walked the entire length of the campground (it's long and narrow and parallels the river and Route 30).  Then we crossed on the bridge by the dam (the dam is pictured above) and explored the island where there are more campsites and where the confluence of the West Branch and the East branch of the Sacandaga come together. I'm sharing five of my fave photos.  The Sacandaga river mainly flows throughout the southern region of the Adirondacks. I'm so thankful I had a day in the mountains where Spring is just appearing. (they're usually behind us by a couple of weeks!). 

Mayflowers are popping up all over
These only appear in the month of May and are very fragile

the confluence of the East (to the right)
and the West (on the left) branches of the Sacandaga River
Southern Adirondacks

majestic pines 

The bridge across the West branch to the island

East Branch of the Sacandaga on the back side of the island

That wraps up my fave blessings from the week.

I hope you all have a beautiful Spring weekend!